Making A Mark
by Synthiacat
Summary: This is your average Lily and James story. They hate, they love, they're teenagers. How can someone not adore their love story?
1. The Dinner

Disclaimer – Hey, I'm just a 17-year-old girl. I own nothing whatsoever…except for Bobby Sox, my cat, but is it possible to own a cat? Hmm…well, I digress. Enjoy the story!

"Holy crap." That was the attitude that Lily greeted the day with. It was August 15 and she had yet to purchase her schoolbooks for the new term at Hogwarts. "What am I thinking? I haven't even received my letter yet," she murmured aloud to herself. For some odd reason, she was able to tell what was being written about her from many years in the future. Oops…my bad, she actually was not able to read this, she was just thinking about the fact that she still needed to buy her school things.

"Dad, Mum! Are you both up yet? Pet? How 'bout you? Anyone?" Lily stumbled down the stairs from her second story room. She gazed about the greeting hall, looking for any sign of life. Her keen eyes caught sight of a small note taped to the door. As she approached, she noticed the small writing of Petunia's, her sister. "Where have you run off to today, family?"

_Lily:_

_Mum, Dad, and I have gone to town to buy groceries for tonight's dinner. Mum tried to wake you, but, being the lazy bum you are, you wouldn't budge. Don't forget to look nice and normal tonight, all right? Vernon's coming over and I would like the family to make a good impression on him._

_We'll be home by four with Vernon._

_-Petunia Evans_

"Yes, yes, Pet. I'll look my best." Lily and her sister had always had a loving relationship. They were normal sisters. They fought and argued just like every other pair of siblings. Unfortunately for them, though, the powers that be decided to complicate things a little bit for them. The summer that Lily turned 11, she had learned something that astonished her, excited her mother, enthralled her father, and confused her sister. She was a witch. Her family had always secretly expected this. How many normal seven year olds can cause toasters to explode when they become irked? The confusion that Petunia felt led to her holding her sister at an arm's length at all times. The fact that Lily was so different from those Petunia considered to be perfect was enough for Petunia to consider her sister to be something second-class.

Even with the degradation that Petunia had applied to Lily, Lily still loved and cared for her sister. Petunia loved Lily as well, but would never admit it openly. In front of her friends, she still referred to Lily as "My parents' other daughter." Lily didn't mind, though. She had plenty of friends at her school. She was even what many considered to be popular. She had never seen it. She just assumed that she was friendly and got along well with everyone.

Well, she had to admit, she didn't get along with everyone. There was a boy in her year that she didn't talk to much and avoided if possible. It wasn't that she didn't like him, it was more the fact that every time she tried to be nice, he would call her a "Mudblood" or any other derogatory name. Severus Snape. He sent shivers down her spine every time he drew nearer to her. He was a known fan of the Dark Arts, so she kept her distance.

However, there were those that she held in lower regards than even Snape. James Potter and Sirius Black. They were half of the trouble making team, The Marauders. The duo was quite possibly the reason that Lily had not enjoyed her honorable duty as Prefect. There was hardly a night of patrol for her when she had not run into them planning some prank. Gryffindor had almost lost the house cup that year because of James and Sirius' deductions in house points.

It wasn't just the fact that the two had probably aged Lily several years that she didn't particularly care for them; it was more the fact that they teased anyone and everyone. They had a complete lack of morals and disregard for rules. If Dumbledore hadn't had such a fondness for their group, all four Marauders would be attending Durmstrang right now. They would fit in with the Dark teachings.

As Lily made her way into her kitchen, she passed the dining room. She noticed five place settings already arranged, with napkins covering up the dishes and cutlery. _ Petunia convinced them to set out the good china. Good for her_, thought Lily to herself as she lifted a maroon napkin to get a good view of the plates. Upon reaching the kitchen, something immediately drew her attention. Roasting in the oven was a large duck. _Wow, this must really be an important dinner. Better not spoil my appetite too much_, she thought as she reached into the cabinet to pull out a small bowl. Lily walked over to a smaller cupboard that rested above the sink and a window. Groggily, she gazed out as she retrieved the box of cereal that rested in its normal place.

Suddenly, something caught her attention. A fleck in the sky shook her out of her hazy state. As the speck grew large, Lily was able to identify it as a Tawny owl, no doubt belonging to the school. Her heart began to race as she opened the window to greet the owl that bore a letter Lily had been waiting six years to get, ever since she was a first year at Hogwarts. While removing the letter from the Tawny that had landed on her counter, she desperately hoped for an extra parcel to be contained within it

She felt a lump in the envelope as she propped herself onto the counter next to the bird. Her heart was racing faster and faster has she opened it. A small badge fell out. The letters "HG" standing out. "YES!" she shrieked, as childhood dreams had become reality. "I'm Head Girl. Holy mother of pearl. Wait until Mum and Dad hear of this. This is going to be the most terrific year yet!" As the excitement wore off, Lily read the letter that accompanied her treasured badge. She had plenty of books that she would need to pick up before September first. _Looks like we'll need to take a trip to Diagon Alley._

Finally, after being distracted most pleasantly, Lily sat down in the dining room in her normal spot and ate her cereal while gazing dreamily at her new badge that she had propped up against the humble vase of wild flowers that was set in the middle of the table. As the idea of her being considered the most responsible and honorable seventh year girl by her professors sunk in, a thought occurred to her. _Who's Head Boy? _She began to mentally list the boys in her year off. She reckoned that it surely would be a former Prefect. _Remus? Yeah, it could be Remus. He would be a good Head Boy. Well, he would if it weren't for the fact that he was absent so much. I guess it won't be Remus. What about Sean? He's a good guy. Not bad for a Hufflepuff. I wouldn't mind sharing a private dorm with him. Aaron's all right, too, but I doubt that Dumbledore would let him be a Prefect after that terrible accident during last year's Quidditch game…That's a game Sirius won't soon forget…hehe…_

Lily continued to think of possible Head Boys. She had finally decided that it was going to go to either Sean Witherby or Charles Jacobson. They were both honorable, smart and had unmarred records. Also, they were both attractive, which was a perk in Lily's decision-making process for the ultimate Head Boy.

She was startled out of her daydreams of being locked in a room with Sean when a cuckoo clock on her wall notified her that it was 11 am. She decided that it was about time to take a shower. Lily took her bowl and spoon and set them carefully in the sink. Because she had turned 17 earlier that summer, she was able to do magic without fear of being expelled or any other sort of punishment that the Ministry might impose upon an underage wizard. Lily practiced her wandless magic skills as she told her bowl and spoon to clean themselves. Much to her enjoyment, they were spotless in a matter of two seconds. She placed the objects in their rightful positions among the other objects in her cupboards.

Lily waltzed up to the upstairs with her badge securely placed in the pocket of her pajamas. At the top of the stairs, she turned left to go to her room and set the badge down on her dresser. Out of her closet, she got a sundress and some undergarments and trotted her way to the bathroom. As Lily washed herself clean, thoughts kept racing through her brain. What effect would this new position have on her? Would students learn to avoid her as they had with other Heads? Would her status as a popular girl be affected? She doubted all of these scenarios. Her friends would never abandon her and she was loved and respected by all of her younger peers. Was she ready to take on the challenge of The Marauders? This question would plague her mind for the rest of the summer.

After a good hour of showering, Lily jumped out and got dressed. She hustled out of the restroom and into her own room. As soon as she entered, she looked around her humble abode. Though it was small when compared to some of her richer friends' rooms, it was very cozy and comforting. It was her room and no one could take that away. How many times had she come here after a fight with Petunia? How many stories had her mother read to her as she tried to get to sleep as a child in the very bed that lay before her? How many years and coats of paint had it taken for Lily and her father to agree that the off-white color of the walls was the best for the room?

If it were up to her, Lily would wish for everyone to share the same pleasant memories as she had. Nothing made her feel guiltier than when one of her friends would complain about a fight they had had with their parents. It wasn't that Lily never fought with her parents. She did, but the fights were always meaningless and easily forgotten. She had a wonderful relationship with her parents.

Lily threw herself down on her bed. She was allowed to be lazy if she wanted to, wasn't she? It was summer for crying out loud. It was a time to recover from the stresses of school life and to relax. It would only be a short nap, she told herself. It wasn't, though. It was 4:45 by the time she had woke up. The sound of multiple car doors slamming had shaken her from her rest. Looking at her clock, she chuckled softly to herself as she realized that her family was, as always, late.

The front door opened and voices carried themselves up to Lily's room.

"Lily, are you home, dear?" called her mother. "Lily! We're home. Come down and greet Vernon."

"Oh, Mum. Don't make her come down if she doesn't want to. She's probably up there doing something stupid." Petunia always knew how to make Lily come down stairs.

"Here I am. Did you miss me on your trip? I sure missed you. Especially you, Pet," said Lily as she scaled the stairs, finally stopping to pinch Petunia's non-existent cheek. "Pick up anything that I will enjoy?"

"Well, Vernon's here," said Lily's father in a rather bored tone.

"Hi," said Vernon sheepishly. He was not one to be shy, but he always appeared to be flustered around Lily. This shyness was not meant to be taken as a sign of affection, though. Petunia had put off informing Vernon of Lily's special powers until she felt it was absolutely crucial for him to know, which was apparently that afternoon. Ever since learning of her gift, Vernon reacted the same way Petunia had; he would not get close to her and spoke very little to her.

The family had a very nice dinner that night. Lily proudly told her parents of her accomplishment of becoming Head Girl. They were very proud of her, but Petunia and Vernon could not have cared less. Throughout the course of the meal, they had been speaking non-verbally with each other. At one point, Lily dropped her napkin and when she bent down to pick it up, she could've sworn she saw Vernon's porky fingers drawing lazy circles on Petunia's thigh. After this showing of affection, Lily excused herself to the kitchen, where she got a look at dessert. _That apple tart would look one hundred times better if I hadn't just lost my appetite. Darn those two lovebirds._

After the dinner was completely over and Petunia had said her goodbyes to Vernon, Lily headed up to bed. As she entered her room, she noticed a rather sharp looking owl perched on her windowsill. She walked over to it and removed the small bit of parchment from the owl's leg. The owl flew off in a flash and left Lily staring at disappearing into the night. She unfolded the bit of parchment and read the small note.

_My dear Lily,_

_You didn't think that you could go a whole summer without hearing from your favorite classmate, did you? Well, here I am to prove you wrong, like always. I just wanted to say that I miss you and I can't wait to see you at Platform 9 and ¾. Sirius sends his love, by the way. I better end this letter now, or I might confess my undying love for you. Goodbye Lily. I will write later this week._

_Yours forever,_

_J. Potter_

Ugh…That pompous prat. He always pulled this stupid stunt on Lily. Every summer, he would send her owls once a week. This summer, however, Lily had failed to receive one. She had thought that maybe he had matured out of it. She was wrong and conceded her defeat. She tossed the note into a drawer she had specified for junk owls. It was filled with old letters James had sent her. She wasn't sure why she hadn't thrown them out, but she was too tired to care at that moment. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she out like a light. That night, she dreamt of James Potter caught in an owl's talon and being taken to be eaten. Needless to say, she slept with a smile on her face.


	2. Procrastination

Disclaimer – I own absolutely nothing except bits and pieces of the story line and some lent that I just found in my pocket. Hooray for me.

**Thank you to my first four reviewers! Your feedback meant a ton to me. So thank you again to Fairy of Obsession, Chios-gal, ladytithenmamiwen, and Devvehdoo!**

As Lily sat tucked into her chair at the table in the dining room, she read from a book that she had stolen from her mother's collection. It was a rather dull story, but it gave her something to do while waiting for her parents to get up and around. It was noon already and they were still getting dressed. "We're only going to Diagon Alley! You don't have anyone to impress. No one's going to care what you're wearing! Come on!" Lily got up from her position on her chair and stood at the bottom of the stairs in the entry hall.

Lily was understandably in a rush. She had put off her shopping until the day before her departure for Hogwarts. In the back of her mind, she was kicking herself for waiting so long, as she knew that Diagon Alley would be swarmed with other procrastinating students. _Oh well_, she thought to herself. _At least I'm getting it done_.

"Lily," called her mother from somewhere upstairs. "Lily, are you sure that your father and I need to come with you? You're seventeen and you can Apparate or Disintegrate or whatever that test was that you took. Your father's not feeling very well, honey. Can't you go on your own?"

"But Mum, you're the one with the money."

"Lily, darling, you can get some money out of my pocketbook. Take as much as you need, but don't take all of it. I know how you get when you're put in an environment with shops. Don't spend the money in one place and buy your school things first, all right?"

"Fine, Mother. I'll be home later." At this point, Lily's mother descended the stairs and sent Lily off with a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

"Be good and don't go off with anyone you don't know."

"Yes, yes, Mum. I know. Goodbye," said Lily as she prepared to Apparate.

"Bye, honey."

And Lily was off. In the blink of an eye, she had gone from her entry hall to an alley beside the Leaky Cauldron. She looked over at Tom and gave him a polite nod to let him know that she was just passing through. As soon as she had tapped the right bricks to get into Diagon Alley, she stepped into the magical world that she had been away from for three months. Students were already greeting Lily as she walked along the crowded shopping area.

The first shop that Lily stopped in after going to Gringotts to convert her money was the Apothecary. She needed to refresh her supplies of ingredients for her NEWT level Potions class. After purchasing her ingredients, Lily made her way over to Flourish and Blotts to purchase all of her books. Once she left Flourish and Blotts, she discovered she only had one place left to go to before her back to school shopping was finished. She made her way to the stationary store to pick up extra quills and parchment.

On her way out, she heard very familiar voices carrying out of Quality Quidditch Supplies. _Ugh…_

"James, James…Look at this new Beater's Bat model."

"Oh, wow. This is incredible. You should purchase it. We're going to be unstoppable this year, Sirius."

Lily gazed through the front window of the store and spied James Potter and Sirius Black jumping around from item to item in the little shop. By the door, she saw Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. She guessed that they were sulking because, unlike James and Sirius, they didn't participate in Quidditch.

Lily got along very well with Remus when he was alone. There were many times when Lily would find Remus studying alone in the library and she would have a conversation with him.

She never spoke much to Peter. Every once in a while, Lily would feel like someone was following and she would turn around to discover Peter walking close to her. She would smile back politely and increase her speed ever so slightly, but he would be able to keep up. He was also a puppet of James and Sirius' and he was always the bearer of bad news to their enemies and girlfriends. Lily never felt too pressured to go out of her way to be nice to him.

After pausing for little over a second, Lily accidentally caught Remus' eye.

"Hey, Padfoot and Prongs, I think I'm going to step outside for some air," said Remus, excusing himself without bringing too much attention to the fact that he was sneaking out.

"Yeah, all right, Moony. Hey, Prongsie, check out this set of gloves designed for Chasers. I think they'll—" Sirius' comment was lost to Remus' ears as he stepped out of the small shop.

"Hey, Lily. What are you doing out here all by yourself? I would have imagined that you'd be swarmed with your girlfriends by now."

"Hey, Remus. I'm just doing some last minute school shopping. I did plan on meeting any of my friends. I'm sure they're much more organized that I am. Oh well… What are you doing here with the three stooges?"

"Well, I think that we're shopping, but so far, Peter and I haven't visited any shops that interest us yet. You know how James and Sirius get. We got here about an hour ago and the first store we stop in is Quality Quidditch…and we're still here."

"Yeah, leave it to Potter and Black to put you through crap like that," said Lily as she looked back into the store with dismay. She glanced at Remus and noticed him looking a little paler than usual. "Is everything all right? They haven't taken advantage of you have they," she said with a wink.

"Ha ha…Very funny, Lily. But no, they haven't. I'm just not feeling up to par right now. In a few days, I will be fine, I'm sure. Don't worry your little head about," he explained to her, as he ruffled her auburn locks.

"If you want to tag along with me, that's fine. I've just finished my shopping, so we can go wherever you wan to go."

"Nah, that's ok. Someone's got to keep an eye on those two and I'd hate to leave Peter alone. I'll see you tomorrow on the train. Hey, by the way, have you heard who the new Head Girl is?"

"Yeah, it's me. Do you know who Head Boy is?"

"James."

At this point, Lily's face turned a shade redder than her hair. With a wave of her hand, she bid fond farewell to Remus and stormed off back to the Leaky Cauldron to drown her sorrows.

Looking at her retreating back, Remus was sorry that he had delivered such, apparently, disturbing news to Lily. He quite enjoyed her company and felt a pang of sorrow to see her leave. Oh well, he figured. He'd be able to see her all this year since he was a prefect and the Heads always work closely with the prefects.

Remus decided he had stalled the inevitable long enough. It was time to rejoin his friends. As soon as he had stepped into the store, he felt immediately like the warden of the crazy pair that were currently trying on Quidditch robes that featured the names of some of their favorite players.

"Padfoot, Prongs, guys. Seriously, we have been here long enough. Do you think it'd be okay if we visited some of the other shops in Diagon Alley? Come on! This is the last time for four months we'll be able to grab an ice cream from Florean Fortescue's. Let's go grab a cone and maybe buy some books or something from Flourish and Blott's."

His begs had fallen to deaf ears. Actually, Peter's ears had perked up at the sound of ice cream, but his opinion did not sway Sirius and James' in the least.

"Hey, guys, can you tear yourselves away from your reflections for one second!" At that moment, James and Sirius we gazing at themselves while fashioning professional Quidditch robes. "Listen, it's never going to happen. You guys are going to end up in go nowhere jobs and never make anything out of yourself." Remus didn't really mean what he said. He just knew what it would take to shake them out of their reverie.

"You take that back, Moony!" shouted a rather red-in-the-face Sirius.

"I know what you're doing, Remus, and I like it. That's some good strategizing, boys. Moony, I'm glad you're on our side and not Snivellus.' You know, Padfoot, I think that our man Moony may have a point. Let's go get some ice cream and pick up our books." James had a pull with Sirius. It wasn't that James controlled Sirius, but Sirius trusted his judgment. If James felt that it was time to go, then it probably was time to go.

"All right. On to Florean Fortescue's!" eagerly proclaimed Sirius while marching out of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

The boys had originally met many years ago, during their first banquet at Hogwarts. Remus was a bit shy, but quickly befriended by James. James wasn't too eager to become friends with Sirius when his parents first told him that a member of the Black family was coming to Hogwarts the same year as him. James' father had never taught him to be rude to those that don't agree with his ideas, but James was still ready to give Sirius the cold shoulder.

As soon as Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor, however, James realized that this Black must really be different. Their friendship was sealed when they simultaneously reached for the same shepherd's pie. Peter joined the group near the end of the meal, once he realized what families James and Sirius came from. It wasn't that he was using them, but he felt attracted to the popular and powerful blood that surged through his roommates.

Well, the boys reached the ice cream parlour and got their treats to go. They made their way over to Flourish and Blotts and purchased everything they needed. After their shopping spree, they parted ways and went home, promising to meet up on the train the next day.

Once Lily had effectively drank quite a few butterbeers, she felt like she should go home and finish packing. She stepped up and walked out of the Leaky Cauldron and into the alley beside it. She Apparated on the spot back to her house.

"Lily, is that you?"

"Yeah, Mum. I'm home, obviously. I picked up all of my supplies. Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

Lily's mother descended the stairs to give her daughter a hug. "No, darling, nothing happened. Did you see any of your friends in Dacron Alley?"

"Mum, it's Diagon Alley. It's a magical shopping district, not some fiber. Geesh… But yes, I did run into a friend of mine, Remus Lupin. Do you remember me telling you about him?"

"Yes, he was the quiet boy who hangs out with those boys who cause you trouble, right?"

"Yep. That's him. He was hanging out with the other guys, but he talked to me alone for a while. I feel so sorry for him. If my friends acted like that, I would ditch them. He says that they're good guys and they're maturing little by little. He insists that if I got to know them, that I would become really good friends with them."

"You know that that's probably right, Lily. Maybe you should take some time to get to know them."

"Yeah… Well, actually, that brings me to the worst news. James Potter, the ringleader of the Marauders, is Head Boy." Judging from her mother's vague expression, Lily felt she needed to clarify why this was such a horrible thing. "We have to share a private dorm. We have to share a lot of duties. We have to patrol the corridors late at night…_alone together_."

"Oh Lily, it can't be too bad. Don't forget who chose him to be Head Boy. Do you really think that your teachers and Headmaster would make the mistake of having the Head Boy be a bad guy?"

"I guess that you're right. I'll give him a chance. I better go finish packing. Don't forget to wake me up early tomorrow, ok?"

"Yes, sweetie. Goodnight," said her mom as she stood on her toes to give her daughter a kiss on the top of her head.

"'Night, Mum."

Lily walked up to her room and realized that she had packed everything she needed. She decided to get an early start on sleeping, so she got dressed into her pajamas. As she laid down on her bed, a small tapping attracted her attention to the window. The same sharp looking owl from a few weeks ago was perched by her window. Lily recognized it as James' owl. _Oh boy, what does he want now? _She decided she might as well read what he had written to her. She removed the parchment that was carefully tied to the right leg of the owl. The owl flew off after she had taken the letter

_Dearest Lily,_

_Remus told me that you're the new Head Girl. I guess that that means that you know that I'm Head Boy. I hope that you aren't too disappointed. I'm sure that you would have preferred to have one of your boyfriends to take the position. I promise you that I will behave and act maturely. If I don't, you can tell Dumbledore and have me removed. I better go. Sirius is getting antsy. I think he wants to go to sleep and my light is keeping him up. I'll see you tomorrow, lovely Lily._

_Yours forever and ever,_

_J. Potter_

Lily tossed the letter into her drawer and plopped down on her bed. _If he thinks I'm going to believe he will attempt to be mature, he has another think coming. I hope he tries, though. I don't want to have crow's feet when I'm 17._ Lily was still thinking about all the trouble that James could cause her in the coming year. Finally, her consciousness faded away and she fell asleep with the hope that her worst fears would not come true.


	3. The Hogwarts Express

Disclaimer – I own nothing.

Thank you to all of my reviewers. Honestly, you guys, your feedback means the world to me. I'm pretty much a newbie with sharing stories that I have a strong connection to. The fact that you like what I'm writing is just amazing. Thank you so much to Fairy of Obsession, ladytithenmamiwen, RoxxySpyder, WhiteCamellia, goaligirl12, and EClaire W! 

**And thank you to my silent readers. I, obviously, don't know who you are, but if you're reading this and enjoying it, I'm glad. If you're reading this and you're not enjoying it, I'm sorry…and if you send in your complaint to I promise you a personalized apology. Please read and enjoy, though!**

"Jamie! Are you getting up?" James rolled over in this bed, trying to block out the sound of his mother's voice. "James Henry Potter! I know you can hear me. Get up! Your train leaves in an hour."

"Ahh…Crap," said James under his breath. "Yeah, Mum. I hear you. I'm getting up." In an attempt to wake himself up further, James walked across the hall to check on his boarder's awareness status. Much to his surprise, Sirius was wide-awake and already dressed to leave.

"Good morning, 'Jamie.'"

"Hey, I told you not to call me that."

"You'd let your mum call you it, but I, your best friend, cannot? That hurts, James. It hurts me right here," said Sirius grasping his own heart.

"Shut up, Paddy. What are you doing up already?"

"Well, my dear friend, I still had to pack and take a shower, so I got up early."

"Dangit…I forgot to pack."

"Calm down, Prongs, I got up a little too early and I packed your stuff, too. Don't give me that look; I didn't do anything to you while you were sleeping."

James quickly ran into the bathroom to give his appearance a once-over to make sure that Sirius hadn't done anything and to check if he needed to shower before leaving for King's Cross. Much to his expectant dismay, he noticed half of his left eyebrow missing. Quickly, he fixed it with a simple spell he had learned in second year to fix similar mishaps involving Sirius being awake around a sleeping James. Although he decided he could probably use a quick shower, James realized how late he was running and instead chose to perform a freshening charm to make him appear clean. _Yeah, that'll do. Lily probably won't even get near enough to me to smell._

"Hey, Padfoot," said James as he left the bathroom. "Shoddy job on my eyebrow. You could have at least put a disillusionment charm on it so that I wouldn't notice. You humble me by expecting me not to observe it."

"Oh hush, little baby. I did it out of boredom."

"Jamie? Sirius? Boys! Your breakfast is getting cold. You better get down here now or else I'll feed it to Baxter." At the sound of James' mother threatening to give he and Sirius' breakfast to the family Boston Terrier put some lead into their shoes and they ran down two stories in a matter of milliseconds.

Also, the fact that James' mother was the one calling caused them to hustle. Ever since his father, Henry, had passed away during James' third year, James and his friends had shown his mother more respect to keep her from breaking down. When Sirius moved in with the family when he was 16, James and he had done pretty much everything she asked them to.

Well, James and Sirius hustled downstairs with lightning speed to find a short stack of pancakes and fried eggs on two plates at the dining table.

"Good morning, boys," said Mrs. Potter, giving James a swift kiss on his cheek and reaching up to pat Sirius on the head. As the boys began to eat, she began to clean up the kitchen. "Are you ready to go back to Hogwarts for your last year?"

"Yesh'm. 'Is'll be da best 'ear yet," said Sirius with a mouth full of food.

"Sirius, chew your food before talking! You'll choke yourself. How you passed your OWLs is beyond me," said Mrs. Potter with twinkle of mischief in her eye.

"Mum, don't pick on Sirius. He can't help it. Don't forget he's a Black."

"That's right! Cursed genes and ancestry. Bah! It's not my fault at all that I was never taught common courtesy or how to take care of myself."

"Oh Sirius. You can't possibly blame your family for your behavior. I believe that even if you were put through years of finishing school, you would still have the manners of a mutt."

At this point, both James and Sirius choked on their food, gasping for breath, James said, "Don't say that!"

"Say what, Pumpkin?"

"Say that Sirius is a dog…it's…uhh…very rude, Mum."

"You boys get sillier and sillier every year. Oh dear, look at the time. I guess that you boys had better Apparate to King's Cross. Are you all packed up?"

"Yes, Mum."

"And we've already got our stuff shrunken and packed safely into our pockets," replied Sirius already knowing Mrs. Potter's next question.

"That's good, that's good. Well, I'm going to miss you boys while you're gone. Don't forget to write."

"We won't," the boys said in unison.

"Tell Remus and Peter to write, too."

"We will."

"Don't forget to come back during Christmas break."

"We won't."

"Bye, Mum," said James, giving her a quick kiss and waving goodbye.

"Bye, Mum," said Sirius, giving her a strong hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, boys. I love you both."

"We love you, too."

"Oh, and Mum, can you tell Baxter I said goodbye. I always miss that dog."

"Sure thing, Jamie. Bye boys."

And then the boys simultaneously Disapparated.

In her kitchen, Lily fixed herself a modest breakfast of cereal and a banana. Her parents were both at work and Petunia was off with Vernon Dursley. Apparently, he was showing her around his new work place, some little drill company where he worked as a peon.

It was 10:30 and Lily had always prided herself on never being tardy for anything. She felt that this would be a good time to Apparate to the train station. She left a note to her parents and sister bidding them fond farewell. After signing it, she quickly Apparated to an area designated specifically for Apparition near King's Cross.

She promptly unshrunk her luggage and left for the station. Before she had gotten out of the area, though, she heard two pops behind her. She turned to discover Sirius and James, both looking very happy.

"Hello, Potter," she nodded to James. "Black," she likewise nodded to Sirius.

"Hi, Lily. Did you have an enjoyable Apparatition?" asked James.

"Why, yes, I did."

James and Sirius retrieved their own bags from their pockets and unshrunk them in the same manner as Lily. Together, the three left for the station. Lily wasn't keen on making friendly conversation with the boys, but she was nonetheless polite.

"What trouble have you boys been causing this summer?" asked Lily to the duo.

"Well, just the normal pranks and merrymaking of every summer for me. James, on the other hand, took no part in most of it," said Sirius, looking proud.

"What? Potter not being a nuisance? Were you ill?"

"No, I just felt more satisfaction helping my mum out and doing homework."

"Homework? James Potter doing homework? Dear me, Black, is he really not sick?"

"Funny, Lily. I want to be an Auror after this year, and if I want to do that, I must do well in my NEWTs classes. But thank you for your concern for my health."

The seventh years continued to walk together and had the first pleasant conversation between them in recent history. The trip from the area set aside for Apparation to King's Cross Station wasn't a long one. Before they knew it, they were running through the barrier to platform 9 and ¾.

"So you're Head Boy this year?" asked Lily to James once Sirius had left them to find a compartment and probably flirt with a few girls along the way.

"Yes, I am. And you're Head Girl."

"How'd you know?"

"Remus told me. That should make for a fun year."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No, I'm serious. I can't think of a girl more suited for the position than you. I know that I'm not the person you had planned, or hoped, to be Head Boy. I'm optimistic that by the time the year starts to pass, you will understand that I'm able and ready to take on the duties."

"Wow, Potter. I actually understood what you were saying. That must be the first time you have strung together more than one sentence in a row. I think that you even had a compound sentence in there."

James laughed at this comment. His joy shocked Lily. He had never been one to take a joke that stabbed at his intelligence. Lily and James boarded the Hogwarts Express. They made their way to the Head's compartment and, when they reached it, they sat down in silence. The silence caused Lily to think. _Maybe he has matured a little bit over the summer. No, not possible. He's probably just lonely for Black or he's tired. Ugh…He just wants to shag me, I'm sure. Dirty boy…_

"Lily?" James asked cautiously.

"Yes, Potter?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Uhh…No, why do you ask?"

"Well, your hands keep flexing and unflexing. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

A thousand things ran through Lily's mind. She could ask him if he's really matured, but that would maybe not get her an honest answer. She could ask him if he knows why he was able to be Head Boy, even though he's never been a prefect. There were so many things that she'd always wanted to know, but she settled for the old stand-by.

"Yeah, I want to ask you how you're able to be so insensitive to Severus, but still have a friend like Remus."

"Lily, Lily, Lily. Why are you always standing up for Snape when he calls you…well, you know what he calls you?"

"I just don't think that you and your friends should treat him like scum."

"Lily, he treats you like you're scum."

"Well, I can handle it and turn a deaf ear. Why does it bother you so much how he treats me?"

"You have to ask?"

Lily looked down and felt a blush rising to her cheeks. _Is he serious? No, he's not. There's no way. He only uses what Snape…I mean, Severus, calls me as an excuse. James Potter does not have a kind bone in him. What if he is serious? Maybe he does care about—_

"Lily?"

"You do?"

"Excuse me?"

"Umm…nothing. Sorry, just talking to myself."

Once again, the blushing sensation crept into Lily's cheeks. She looked anywhere to deprive James of being able to see her reddening face. She finally took in her surroundings. This was the first time she had seen the inside of the compartment designated for the Heads. The room was cozy and had snacks set upon a little cart. Lily had subconsciously picked up a chocolate frog and was slowly picking it apart. She looked down at her hands and noticed that the sweet looked like a dissection now. She noticed James was looking and glanced at him, just daring him to say something offensive.

"That's gorgeous, Lily. Are you nervous about something?"

"Well, actually, I am. I haven't seen any of the girls I normally talk to, yet. I know that Carmen and Julia aren't coming to Hogwarts this year, but Mary, Janie, and Francis assured me last year that they were going to talk to me at the station."

"Janie Smart?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Her mother was killed by Voldemort two weeks ago. She's not going to go back to Hogwarts this year. Didn't she write to you or anything?"

"No, I don't normally correspond with my friends over summer break. Where did you hear about her mother being killed?"

"It was in the all the papers and tabloids. My mum also works with her dad and she told me about it. I thought for sure someone like you would be abreast of all the current events."

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean, Potter?" Lily was beginning to get angry with him for something that he had nothing to do with. Three of Lily's best friends were not going to go to school with her. She wasn't really close with any of her friends, but they were friends nonetheless. They were girls that she could talk to about boys and make up and stuff. A girl needs to have superficial friends like that in a world where people die everyday.

"I just meant that someone who is so studious and concerned."

"Well, Potter, I may not be as close to my friends as you are to your friends, but I try to keep up with them. It's hard when you're a Muggle-born. I can't exactly have The Daily Prophet delivered to my door everyday. Also, I don't think that my sister would appreciate an owl flying into my room with tidings from my friends."

"Lily, I wasn't insulting you or your connections to your friends. The last thing that I want to do is offend you."

"Just don't let it happen again."

At this point, the train began to move. With a loud lurching sound, the door that connected the Head's compartment to the prefect's compartment opened. A Ravenclaw sixth year named Parry Mason looked in at James and Lily.

"Hello. Are you two ready to start the prefect's meeting? I believe we are all in here and waiting."

"Yeah, Parry. We're ready," said James, looking at Lily to make sure she was set to go as well.

They both walked into the room and noticed nothing but friendly faces looking back at them. Even the Slytherin prefects were pleasant. Lily realized that this was going to be a fine year to be Head Girl. She imagined nothing but smooth sailing. When James looked at the crowd, however, he saw nothing but boys looking at him admiringly and girls checking him out. He wasn't exactly looking for a girlfriend (besides Lily), but he was still pretty thrilled to see the female attention he was going to get this year.

The meeting went by easily enough. By the time Lily and James were finished reading off responsibilities for the prefects, the train was about three hours from Hogsmeade station.

"What are we supposed to do now?" James asked Lily after the last lingering female fan of his had left.

"Well, I suppose we need to read our own responsibilities." Lily picked up a large roll of parchment that read "The Rules and Tasks Belonging to Heads" on the top of it. "Let's see here, it says…a lot of things."

As Lily read the fine print, James sat staring amiably at her. He heard every word she said, but didn't really listen to her. He was too entranced with the way that she would pronounce some words or the way her lips would curl when she pronounced certain sounds. Once Lily had reached the end of their many responsibilities, which took two hours to complete, she heaved a sigh and looked around.

James was in the exact spot and position he had been in when she began and the nothing had changed about the room. If it weren't for the fact that there was a window behind James that showed the night sky, she wouldn't have known how much time had passed. She loved to read aloud. Before she had learned of her magical influences, she wanted to become an Elementary school teacher.

"James? Are you all right?"

James, she's never called me that before. Maybe she has noticed a change in me after all. Boy, I could listen to her for hours, though. She has such an interesting—

"Potter? Are you with me here!"

Oh, never mind.

With a sigh, James replied, "Yes, I'm fine. So I guess that we have a lot of responsibilities. At least we won't be bored this year," he said, forever the optimist.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Looking at her watch, she spoke, "We have about an hour before we get there. You can go see your friends and change into your robes. Be back here in 45 minutes, though, so we can get ready to set the prefects to work taking the students where they need to go."

"Ok. Where are you going to be, in case I need to find you?"

"I'm going to stay here. You never know if a first time prefect will need help. They'll need to know where to find me."

"If I see Mary or Francis, do you want me to send them here to talk to you?"

"No, that's ok. Thank you for offering, though. That's very…considerate of you."

"No problem, Lily."

James left the room, leaving Lily feeling very confused about him. She wasn't quite sure what she should think of this new polite attitude he had adopted. After a couple of minutes, however, she pulled a book out of her bag and began to read. Before she realized how much time had passed, the door to the compartment opened and in walked James.

"Are we almost there?" she asked him.

"Well, in about 20 minutes we will."

"Really? I better go put on my robes. You better, too."

Simultaneously, they reached into their respective bags and got out their robes. They both looked up at the other, realizing their awkward position.

"Here, Lily, I'll go into the prefect's compartment. There aren't any in there right now."

"Ok. I'll tell you when you can come back in."

After a few minutes, Lily called to James to tell him that he could reenter. He came back in and put his street clothes into his luggage. This was when the real trouble started. The door opened and in walked Narcissa, Regulus, and Bellatrix Black, and some guys named Crabbe and Goyle, and a few other Slytherins.

"Potter, Evans. There's something I need to discuss with you," said Bellatrix, in a tormenting tone.

"And what might that be?" asked James.

"We heard that you and your mother hosted the Prewetts this summer," Narcissa said in a low voice.

"That's true. They were lovely guests."

"Well, they've been sticking their noses where they don't belong. I trust you to be able to pass the word onto them," commanded Bellatrix.

"Sure thing, darling bear. I'll send your love to the boys, ok? I know about your big crush on them," said James with a wink.

"You make me sick," said Bellatrix. At this point, the group of angry Slytherins turned and walked out, slamming shut the door.

"Why do you do that, Potter? You're just asking to be cursed."

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. They don't scare me."

The train began to slow down as it reached Hogsmeade.

"Are you ready to get these kids to the school and in the right places, Potter?"

"That's not our responsibility. That's all up to the prefects. We just need to get them into action."

And then Lily laughed at James' joke. For the first time in recent history, Lily enjoyed his company.


End file.
